Stardock announces the release of Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion via digital distribution, calling this "the most significant expansion to Ironclad Games' hit real-time strategy game." This trailer shows off the standalone expansion, which does not require ownership of the original game to play, this page shows where to find the game, and this page has details on an upcoming boxed Collector's Edition (which will be available as an upgrade for owners of this digitally distributed version). Here's word on the game:

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion combines the best elements of real-time strategy with the depth normally reserved for 4X games. Players take command of a space-faring civilization that is fighting for its very existence in a vast interstellar war. This conflict will see players colonize planets, battle pirates, research new technologies, conduct trade, use diplomacy and engage in epic battles with massive fleets.

"What I think has made Sins of a Solar Empire such a phenomenon is that it demonstrated that you can have a real-time strategy game that rewards victory to the player who has built the better civilization, rather than the player with the best reflexes," said Brad Wardell, president & CEO of Stardock Entertainment.

In Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, years of unending conflict have resulted in internal strife within the three warring races - the Trader Emergency Coalition, the Vasari Empire and the Advent Unity. As a result, players can choose to play as a loyalist or rebel faction of the three races, each with their own techs and ships.

In addition to warring factions, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion also includes new "Titan" class warships. These massive vessels are fleets unto themselves and can unleash destruction across an entire star system. When matched with the additional new corvettes and capital ships, they create a variety of interesting tactical options for players.

"Each faction gets their own Titan," said Wardell. "Seeing one of these behemoths enter a system can be pretty awe-inspiring. It's a real game changer in the middle of a big multiplayer battle when someone manages to get their Titan into the fray."

The underlying game engine has also been overhauled to deliver state of the art graphics resulting in breathtaking visuals.

"The combination of being a space-based game with massive scale and the new graphics engine really helps bring home just how epic these battles can be," said Wardell. “When you see the already massive Kol battleship being overshadowed, literally, by a Titan, it conveys a level of scale that you just can't get in a non-space game."

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion can be purchased directly from its home page (www.sinsofasolarempire.com) or via digital distributors including Steam, GameStop PC Downloads, GameFly and others.